
ORIGINS
The History of Smoked Salmon
Smoking preserves salmon and has been used for centuries by various cultures around the world. To prepare for long, cold winters, people smoked and salted their freshly caught salmon to enjoy. The Greeks and Romans served smoked salmon at feasts and festivals. The First Nation People in America deeply respected and relied upon salmon for centuries. According to Norse legend, Viking tribes once battled over this valuable resource. To bring peace to the land, the god Thor hurled thunderbolts from the heavens, carving countless deep grooves along the coast known as fjords, which have guaranteed an abundance of salmon for all.
The History Of Gravad Lax
Long before the Viking Era, Scandinavians buried salmon underground with layers of dill, salt, and sugar. Gravad lax, meaning ‘grave salmon’, preserved fish in the absence of refrigeration and allowed people to survive the winter.
What’s Your Smoking Style?
Scandinavian: dry salted and gently cold-smoked.
Irish: salted with sea salt and smoked over oak.
West Coast: lightly smoked over fragrant hardwoods.